Top-level China, India talks amid nuclear deal tension
Important talks: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (R) listening to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (L) during a meeting in New Delhi, yesterday.Picture: AFP
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
ASIAN giants India and China held high-level talks yesterday amid tension over Beijing's perceived reluctance to support New Delhi's civilian nuclear ambitions.
India has criticised Beijing for being unwilling to support its entry into the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG), which controls global atomic commerce.
New Delhi's inclusion into the NSG, which was approved Saturday, is crucial for energy-hungry India to buy nuclear fuel, technology and reactors to power its booming economy.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met his counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, Indian foreign ministry officials said.
"We were rather disappointed because the Chinese suddenly jumped into the arena supporting - they didn't say anything themselves - the naysayers," India's national security adviser MK Narayanan told NDTV news channel Sunday.
"We will of course express some kind of disappointment... saying that we expected more from them," he added.
China had expressed concerns over lifting the ban since India, which had been denied access to civilian nuclear technology because it tested a nuclear weapon in 1974, is not a member of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.
But India finally made a "formal declaration" on Friday to stand by its non-proliferation commitments and uphold its moratorium on tests, and China withdrew its earlier opposition.
A foreign ministry official said India's disappointment with China's stance at the NSG followed "repeated assurances" from President Hu Jintao that they would not oppose a consensus on the entry of New Delhi. "We were told by the Chinese that they would not create difficulties when it came to the NSG waiver," said the official, who declined to be named.
"The rise of China and India is a very good omen for Asia," Yang told reporters before yesterday's meetings. "India and China should work shoulder-to-shoulder with each other in bringing about peace in the region."
CU Bhaskar, former head of the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, said the latest friction was part of longstanding competition between the economic and strategic rivals.
But he noted that there had been a "concerted attempt by both sides to set aside differences" and normalise bilateral ties despite mistrust stemming from a brief but bitter border conflict in 1962.
"Clearly, until now China has been the major power in Asia, which was skewed in China's favour," Bhaskar said.
"With India entering the NSG, a new strategic equation has been introduced into Asia and this clearly has caused disquiet to China," he said.
Beijing's alleged change of position was a "covert attempt to prevent a successful rise of India."
"China's credibility in bilateral relations with India is at stake" with New Delhi likely to adopt a more "wary" approach, he said.
Besides differences at the NSG, India and China will review progress made in 11 rounds of talks to resolve a thorny boundary dispute, officials said.AFP
India has criticised Beijing for being unwilling to support its entry into the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG), which controls global atomic commerce.
New Delhi's inclusion into the NSG, which was approved Saturday, is crucial for energy-hungry India to buy nuclear fuel, technology and reactors to power its booming economy.
Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met his counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, Indian foreign ministry officials said.
"We were rather disappointed because the Chinese suddenly jumped into the arena supporting - they didn't say anything themselves - the naysayers," India's national security adviser MK Narayanan told NDTV news channel Sunday.
"We will of course express some kind of disappointment... saying that we expected more from them," he added.
China had expressed concerns over lifting the ban since India, which had been denied access to civilian nuclear technology because it tested a nuclear weapon in 1974, is not a member of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.
But India finally made a "formal declaration" on Friday to stand by its non-proliferation commitments and uphold its moratorium on tests, and China withdrew its earlier opposition.
A foreign ministry official said India's disappointment with China's stance at the NSG followed "repeated assurances" from President Hu Jintao that they would not oppose a consensus on the entry of New Delhi. "We were told by the Chinese that they would not create difficulties when it came to the NSG waiver," said the official, who declined to be named.
"The rise of China and India is a very good omen for Asia," Yang told reporters before yesterday's meetings. "India and China should work shoulder-to-shoulder with each other in bringing about peace in the region."
CU Bhaskar, former head of the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, said the latest friction was part of longstanding competition between the economic and strategic rivals.
But he noted that there had been a "concerted attempt by both sides to set aside differences" and normalise bilateral ties despite mistrust stemming from a brief but bitter border conflict in 1962.
"Clearly, until now China has been the major power in Asia, which was skewed in China's favour," Bhaskar said.
"With India entering the NSG, a new strategic equation has been introduced into Asia and this clearly has caused disquiet to China," he said.
Beijing's alleged change of position was a "covert attempt to prevent a successful rise of India."
"China's credibility in bilateral relations with India is at stake" with New Delhi likely to adopt a more "wary" approach, he said.
Besides differences at the NSG, India and China will review progress made in 11 rounds of talks to resolve a thorny boundary dispute, officials said.AFP
Business Besides Oil
